Algorithmic Governance and Data Protection in Algerian Smart Cities: An Analysis of Law 18-07

Abstract

Algeria’s transition into a data-driven society is anchored in Law No. 18-07 and its 2025 modernization, which seeks alignment with international standards like the GDPR. However, the rapid deployment of AI-driven smart cities introduces complex socio-technical risks, including algorithmic discrimination and affinity profiling, that challenge existing regulatory boundaries. This paper analyzes the efficacy of Algeria’s legal and institutional architecture in mitigating these automated harms within urban governance. The research finds that while the framework demonstrates high formal convergence with global models, it is fundamentally undermined by the lack of an explicit right to an explanation, the absence of proxy-based anti-discrimination rules, and the broad exclusion of national security data from oversight. Furthermore, the National Authority (ANPDP) faces persistent implementation hurdles due to an institutional technical expertise gap required for auditing complex AI systems. Ultimately, the study characterizes the framework as partially adequate but structurally insufficient. It proposes a strategic roadmap for legislative reform and technical capacity building to ensure substantive algorithmic accountability